Possible complmeentarities among the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) and European Regional Development Funds (ERDF) in Catalonia

1. Complementarity of EFSI and ESI in
Catalonia
Albert Castellanos
General Director for Economic Promotion, Competition and Regulation
Ministry of the Vice-presidency and of the Economy and Finance
Barcelona, 15 September 2016

2.  European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) and European
Structural and Investment Funds (ESI) priorities are to promote smart,
sustainable and inclusive growth in Europe.
 EFSI provides financing to economically viable projects:
 Direct financing of big projects
 Financing of Investment Platforms
 Financing of projects through financial intermediaries and through
operations with National Promotional Banks
 ESI are implemented in a decentralised way. They provide financing
for projects via grants and financial instruments.
Complementarity between EFSI and ESI
2

3.  Strategic combination of ESI Funds and the EFSI can mobilise
additional investments in Europe by complementing each other:
 Complementarity at project level
 Complementarity at financial instrument or investment platform
level
Complementarity between ESFI and ESI
3

4. Potential complementarities between EFSI and ERDF in
Catalonia
4
EFSI
Catalonia
Financial needs addressed by EFSI
Possible complementarities with
Catalonia’s ERDF OP
Direct financing of big
projects (above 25
MEUR)
Only a few big projects have been
identified and are in progress.
Many of the projects identified do not
fulfil the EFSI conditions.
There are difficulties to find private
investors for big projects of public
interest.
ERDF OP does not include big
investment projects (exceptions!)
Financing of investment
platforms
Future launching of an Investment
Platform for energy efficiency projects
for ESCO.
In the future there could be other
thematic investment platforms
Investment platforms are not included
in the ERDF OP. But they could be
included in the future.
Financing through
financial intermediaries
and through operations
with NPB
The ICF and other financial institutions
are providing financing to SME with EIB
funds.
The ERDF OP promotes financial
instruments to SME. Currently there are
no complementarities between EFSI and
ERDF at the instrument level. There
could be in the future.

5. Examples of further potential complementarities between
ERDF OP
5
RIS3CAT instruments
(cofinanced by the ERDF OP)
Potential complementarities of RIS3CAT
instruments with EFSI
RIS3CAT communities are groups of
companies and R&I stakeholders that
promote R&I plans for the economic
transformation of production activities.
ERDF OP subsidises RIS3CAT communities’
collaborative high risk R&I projects to increase the
competitiveness of the Catalan economic sectors.
EFSI could finance the investment that is not eligible
for ERDF.
R&D cooperation projects (nuclis
tecnològics) of companies in collaboration
with research and technological centres.
ERDF OP subsidises high risk R&I projects of
companies. EFSI could finance the investment that is
not eligible for ERDF.
Innovation Public Procurement program
focused on social and sanitary needs and
on circular economy.
The ERDF OP is cofinancing the public procurement
of innovation. EFSI could provide financing to
companies applying to the public biddings, to develop
new solutions to the public sector challenges.

6. www.gencat.cat/catalunya2020